疫情重创 Expedia中环中心全层寻顶租

需求弱+机构减成本甲厦现顶租潮

疫情对商厦租赁市场影响渐浮现。旅游行业相关生意受冲击，消息指，网上旅行服务供应商Expedia，现租用中环中心全层，据悉正放顶租，市值呎租约70元；另同厦一家手游公司，全层单位亦于市场寻求顶租。因需求弱加上机构减成本，势令甲厦空置率上升。

疫症令个别行业生意大受打击，故要作出节省成本计划。翻查资料，Expedia于2019年租用中环中心中低层全层单位，面积约2.5万平方呎，租期至2022年6月，目前租约尚有两年。据了解，该公司有意放弃现有据点，并于市场放顶租，估计市值呎租约70元。

手游公司中环中心单位放租

Expedia主力提供网上服务及资料，旗下的Hotel.com、trivago等，均是不少旅客订购外国酒店及机票，及作格价之选，一直以来业务甚为理想。不过，疫情从今年初爆发，及后蔓延至欧美国家，全球纷纷封关，旅游业停顿，生意受严重冲击。事实上，该集团今年首季收入按年跌15.3%，亏损13亿美元。

事实上，疫情影响营商环境，甲厦租务显得淡静，个别租客亦于市场放顶租。以中环中心为例，有其他租客亦在放租盘。据悉，腾讯(00700) 旗下从事手机游戏业务的子公司Riot Games，2018年租用中环中心51楼数个单位，呎租约95元；去年更扩充业务，租用该厦全层，面积达约2.5万平方呎。惟租客近期于市场放顶租，按目前市场呎租约90元。

另外，同区散业权商厦，如皇后大道中9号、美国银行中心，亦有个别面积较细放顶租单位。

跨国公司省成本旺角搬九龙湾

九龙区租务方面亦较为淡静，不少跨国公司缩减业务。据悉，一家日本电子公司，原租用旺角新世纪广场单位，面积约1.1万平方呎，呎租约35元。该机构最近转租九龙湾One Kowloon单位，面积约7,000平方呎，租金较便宜外，亦缩减单位写字楼面积，作为节省成本。

据代理行早前报告指，4月份写字楼市场的租赁需求仍然相对疲弱，新租赁成交的楼面按月减少14%。因此写字楼市场租金均见调整，4月整体市场租金按月下跌3%。中环写字楼空置率于4月底升至4.6%，为2014年1月以来最高。

(经济日报)

甲厦租金连跌11个月受疫症影响重返2016年中水平

随着本港疫情减退，商厦交投反弹，但市场前景未明朗，租售价仍然受压。根据代理行资料指出，甲厦租金连跌11个月，由去年中高位累挫20.9%，重返2016年中水平。该代理行指出，随着政治问题重现，短期内商厦交投及租售价继续受压。

代理行的报告指出，5月份甲厦租金、以至售价，都双双连跌第11个月，当中甲厦租金由去年中的高位累挫20.9%，重返2016年中水平，是各类商厦租售价中表现最差。

高位累挫20.9%

报告指出，5月份指标甲厦售价按月跌0.9%，连跌11个月后，累计挫12.4%，上月核心区跌幅最大为上环，按月挫逾4%，最新平均呎价约25434元，已经跌穿2017年5月，即美利道地王批出后的水平。至于租金继续跑输售价，甲厦租金按月更挫2.5%，拖累租金表现走弱。由去年6月份的高位计算，甲厦租金累积跌幅已达20.9%，单计今年首5个月，跌幅亦达14.8%。

上月甲厦租金以金鐘及尖沙嘴跌幅最大，两区甲厦租金按月分别挫4.2%及4.6%。上月各区继续录多宗低价租务成交，包括金鐘力宝中心2座一个单位，以每方呎约40元租出，另外中环中心一个中层户亦仅以每方呎58元获承租。

代理表示，虽然本港疫情已经减退，但早前啟德商业地招标再遇流标，已经反映发展商对商厦后市表现十分审慎，事实上，写字楼市场前景仍然不明朗，因为政治市重临，一方面国安法制定，本港社会运动捲土重来，另一方面中美关係恶化，香港独立关税区地位或被撤销，这将为未来带来很大不确定性。

后市仍不明朗

代理认为，準买家将倾向採取观望态度，短期内商厦成交量因而受压，但下半年而言，由于市场将有多个新盘待推，包括长沙湾一个全新甲厦项目可望快将推售，加上中概股纷纷回归香港利好股市，对商厦市场有正面影响，预期下半年写字楼成交量将会显著回升。

(星岛日报)

太子翻新商厦全幢放售 

兴胜创建于2017年斥约1.66亿购入的太子荔枝角道99号The Edward，以招标形式出售，包括大厦命名权及管理权。截标日期为下月23日。

物业刚于今年5月完成翻新工程，现为一幢15层高商厦，每层建筑面积约1730至2290方呎，总建筑面积约28380方呎。

物业适合作教育中心、医疗或美容中心、安老院舍、共居生活或公司总部等。市场估值约3.7亿，平均呎价约13000元。

(星岛日报)

Hong Kong developers feel the pain from Covid-19, social unrest as rental incomes shrink and tenants surrender office space

Hong Kong developers are feeling the pain from Covid-19 and the anti-government protest movement, with shrinking rental incomes and tenants surrendering office space as the economy spirals into a recession.

Henderson Land Development, the third largest builder in Hong Kong, said total rental income across its portfolios, mainly in the office sector, had dropped around 10 per cent as a result of the health pandemic.

Some of the real estate developer’s tenants in the International Finance Centre (IFC) office towers were considering reducing the size of their offices or ending their leases, said Martin Lee Ka-shing, co-chairman of Henderson Land, speaking at the company’s annual general meeting on Monday.

“But overall there is still strong demand for office space in the International Finance Centre,” said Lee. “Once a tenant ends their lease, many clients show up quickly intending to rent the office space.”

The developer’s rental income from office space in China had also dropped more than 2 per cent, or around HK$20 million, said co-chairman Peter Lee Ka-kit. He said the Chinese government’s swift response to the virus outbreak had helped minimise the losses.

Henderson Land, which owns retail space in more than 20 shopping malls across Hong Kong, said it would continue to provide rental relief to beleaguered retail tenants.

“We have been providing rent relief to [shopping mall] tenants facing operating difficulties since February, with rent reductions ranging from 20 to 60 per cent, and we will continue to do so. We hope to get through these difficult times together with our tenants,” said Martin Lee.

Retail sales in Hong Kong have been pummelled by a double whammy of first the anti-government protests which started last summer, followed by the outbreak of the coronavirus earlier this year. They have been declining for 15 consecutive months, dropping 36.1 per cent year on year in April, according to government statistics released a week ago.

Hang Lung Properties also warned that its financial results for 2020 may be adversely affected by Covid-19, in a filing to the stock exchange after the market closed on Friday.

“The outbreak of Covid-19 has increased uncertainty in the operating performance across the Group’s portfolio of investment properties. If the weak economic environment and leasing market [persist], the appraised values of the Group’s investment properties in Hong Kong and mainland China will likely decrease and a revaluation loss will be reflected in the 2020 financial statements of the Group,” the developer said.

Commercial property agents have warned that the rent of premium, grade A, offices in areas like Causeway Bay and Wanchai could plunge as much as 20 per cent this year.

Amid the gloomy outlook for Hong Kong’s economy, several big companies have called time on their retail space or office leases as they look to make cuts.

Online travel agency Expedia Group is said to be planning to surrender its lease on 25,000 square feet of office space at The Center in Central, due to expire in June of 2022, according to a report on Monday from the Hong Kong Economic Times.

(The Standard)

Secondary home sales tick up over weekend

Property agency recorded 13 secondary transactions at ten blue-chip housing estates over the past weekend, up by 18 percent week-on-week.

Among them, Kornhill in Quarry Bay, Laguna City in Kwun Tong, and Caribbean Coast in Tung Chung recorded no deals.

In May, secondary transactions at ten major estates surged 64 percent month-on-month to 375, according to property agent.

In the primary market, Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016) has collected about HK$4.5 billion after selling 680 out of 699 units of Wetland Seasons Park Phase 2 in Tin Shui Wai.

SHKP expects to obtain the pre-sale consent for Wetland Seasons Park Phase 3 next quarter, which offers 318 units.

In the commercial property market, rents of Grade A office buildings went down 2.5 percent month-on-month in May, and selling prices 0.9 percent, according to another property agency.

Property agent expects a significant rally in office building transactions in the second half as more US-listed Chinese companies are set for secondary listings in Hong Kong.

(The Standard)